Educational Gaming Commons - Press Start

Because all work and no play make Jack a dull boy, games were invented – they were fun, they were relaxing and they were competitive. Played indoors or outdoors, games involved strategies and schemes to win. The physical aspect was always there, but then it was hardly a case of the fittest and the strongest winning all the time – more often than not, the person who planned the game and plotted to move to the next level emerged victorious.

This mental aspect involved in gaming has urged unconventional educators to look at video games through different eyes. Games, which were once thought of as a waste of time and non-contributors to brain development, are now being considered as learning tools and as methods to gain and hone problem-solving skills.

The practical aspect that allows players to explore possibilities without fearing the consequences of failure, the side that lets players try again with alternative methods and schemes, the features that provide incentives to reach the next level – these are all definite advantages that games lend to the development of the human mind and its reasoning, adaptation and survival skills. Games today are being developed for specific purposes – to encourage reading, to teach subjects like science, geography and history, to enhance real-world management skills, to teach players to react in emergency situations, and to be creative. Some games even allow players to create their own characters and storylines and even insert their own versions of the game into the main software. This is creative expression at its best.

Yes, there are conflicting viewpoints and strong opinions that argue against the benefits of video and computer games, the biggest grouse being that they encourage violent tendencies in young children. Shooter games that glorify war and violence, where you must kill and capture (albeit animated images) in order to move up in the order of the world, where the ultimate glory lies in being the sole victor at the cost of everyone else around you, are some of the most popular video games in the business. But research has proved that there is no conclusive evidence linking increased violent behavior to more hours spent in front of the console playing shooter games. In fact, besides improving hand-eye coordination, these games often provide an outlet for the aggressiveness building up inside children when they face stress and tension.

Gaming has become an integral part of education today, as proved by the decision of the MacArthur Foundation to grant $1.1 million towards the funding for a middle and high school in New York that will revolve around teaching kids to develop and create video games and dynamic systems that are expected to hold the key to managing information in the future. Teaching from books and texts has become passé, what’s in is learning through new experiences, gaining knowledge by practicing life skills, and improving oneself by striving to reach the next level of personal development. 
 

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This article is contributed by Heather Johnson, who regularly writes on the topic of grants for graduate school. She invites your questions and writing job opportunities at her personal email address: heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.